Being Crazy isn't Enough
by SerenityWritesSlash
Summary: Ryou's life was boring, uneventful, and dull. Deciding to take the day off school, the Brit is in for quite a surprise when he finds an Egyptian teenager climbing on his roof, and even more surprised when a coincedence forces them to become housemates. Maybe things will be a bit more exciting? Deathshipping, Thiefshipping, and a bucket load of fluff. Kind of an AU.


**_A.N: I wanted to say this is slightly based of the amazing LittleKuriboh's abridged series. I take no credit for a few of the jokes that cameo in here. I also think I should warn that is pure fluff, and Thiefshipping is mentioned. Mostly it's just goofy young men falling in love._**

**_Well, that being said, I hope you__ enjoy!_**

* * *

Alarm clocks weren't needed in the narrows of Domino city, for the simple shouting of criminals and sirens of police cars were enough to keep anyone awake. Of course, Ryou knew he was no exception to the daily life of these imbeciles, but it still irritated him. He was a British immigrant, but his father was Japanese. Ryou grew up with both languages, living happily in London with his Mother and sister. And then they died. It wasn't a horrible murder, or anything like that. Just a car crash.

But that one, simple, car crash sent Ryou halfway around the world to live with his father, who had a home in Japan, but was actually living in Egypt of all places. So, Ryou lived alone in Japan, residing in his father's barely used house, which happened to be in the worst neighborhood in the entire city.

For instance, one day Ryou was taking out the trash, just setting it out on the curb as usual. Then, from out of nowhere, his neighbor ran out of of his house and began to beat Ryou with a piece of garbage. It didn't last long, because Ryou always carried his broom with him, and started beating his neighbor back.

Ryou never left the house without the broom, after that (excluding school).

On one particular Thursday morning in February, he woke up after a horrid sleep. The cops had been chasing some idiot around in circles, the previous night, and Ryou was fed up. He stomped over to the landline, checking to see if anyone called. There was one message from his cousin, Bakura, who lived about three hours away with his sort-of-boyfriend. He called Bakura back, getting three rings before an answer. They talked for a little bit, exchanged boring details about each other's weeks, had a few laughs, then hung up. Ryou knew Bakura had only called him the first time to check up on him, because his cousin was loving underneath all his bad-boy personna. It made Ryou happy to know that he cared.

The small moment of happiness didn't last long, for he knew he had to go to school. Ugh. It was so pointless, that place. Ryou didn't really have any friends, he only occasionally spoke to some fellow card game nerds. It wasn't like he learned anything from the teachers, and he just didn't see the point in attending.

Now, Ryou was a good boy, he usually played by the rules. But not today. He made himself a cup of Earle Grey, grabbed his current book, and sat down on the couch. Ditching. It felt great.

That is, it felt great until he heard something on his roof.

Ryou chose to ignore it, at first. But he kept hearing a damned pattering sound, and eventually decided to go upstairs and check it out. His room had a nice winow, with a perfect view of nothing but the tiles on the roof. It would finally come in handy. When he got to the window, his broom at the ready, he carefully opened the window.

There, violet eyes staring into his burgandy ones, was a tan-skinned, sandy haired, and dare Ryou have a second to think _attractive_ man on his roof. Shocked, the stranger opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Ryou's instinctive reaction- hitting him with the broom. Falling to the ground, the intruder shrieked, as Ryou watched in horror.

"Oh, bollocks!" Ryou cried, running downstairs as fast as he could. He ran outside, still clutching the broom, and stomped up to the crippled form of the imposter.

The stranger lay on his side, clinging to his knee and cussing under his breath. "Ra, you sure know how to aim!" He was speaking English.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Ryou asked, happy to hear his native tongue, but trying to sound strong. "Why were you on my roof?"

"Relax, kitten!" the stranger hissed, "The name's Melvin. Can you help me up?"

"No, I will not bloody help you up!" Ryou snapped, holding the broom up to Melvin's face. "Why were you on my roof?"

"I was, you know, going to go inside..." Melvin said, straightening himself up. "I wasn't going to rob you, or anything, I just needed a shower and maybe some food."

"What the-" Ryou stopped, realising that he had been missing food over the past few days. And he'd found some blonde hairs in his shower. "How long have you been doing this?!"

"Uh," Melvin glanced up the broom, making Ryou notice he wasn't that old. He hardly looked a day over twenty. "Three weeks?" Melvin chuckled, nervously.

Ryou prompty hit him with the broom. Seven times. _With force_.

"H-Hey!" Melvin yelped, crawling backward. "Don't kill me, now!"

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't call the coppers," Ryou said, narrowing his eyes. "And I'll consider saving you from a broom-induced-concusion."

Melvin blinked at him, and Ryou had time to study his face. There was a tattoo of an eyeball that looked like an Egyptian hieroglyphic between his eyebrows, and a strange marking stretching from each of his lower eyelids, barely reaching his cheek bones. "Listen," Melvin said, starting to get to his feet. "I had nowhere else to go, and I noticed your window was open..."

"That's not bloody reason enough to use my shower!" Ryou exclaimed, threateningly raising the broom. "And you took my food, too!"

"Only a few things!" Melvin put his palms up, surrendering. "I swear to Ra, I wouldn't steal too much! I mean, I would...but not now! Please don't hit me again, it'll mess up my hair!"

Ryou faltered at that, seeing as this guy's hair was poking out like a poofy starfish. It looked like he was a cartoon character that got electricuted, and Ryou wasn't even kidding. "You're bleeding..." he noticed, glancing at Melvin's bare arms.

"That's what happens when you push someone of a roof, kitten." Melvin rolled his eyes, finally standing up straight. He towered over Ryou by at least half a foot, making the Brit's confidence shrink. "Now, if you let me get away, I promise I won't come back here." Melvin's expression turned almost pleading.

"Like hell I'm letting you out my sight, you git!" Ryou grumbled, "And my name isn't kitten, it's Ryou. Care to explain to me why you were stealing in the first place?"

"I kind of ended up in this country by accident," Melvin shrugged, smirking down at him. "I never expected to see a little albino fending off neighbors with a broomstick. I just knew that you lived alone, so I made the best of the situation-" Ryou hit him with the broom again.

"Alright, that's enough! Get inside, I'll make sure those cuts are cleaned up." Ryou ushered Melvin onto the porch, still holding the broom as a guard. The blonde laughed at him, shaking his head before he obidiently walked inside.

When they got to the kitchen, Ryou patted the countertop to tell Melvin he should sit there, earning him a look a surprise. He fetched the first aid kit from one of the cuboards, and set it down next to Melvin's leg. "So, how come you're in this country?" Ryou asked, lightly trying to make conversation.

"I'm a psychotic freakshow of a thief, and you're asking why I'm in the country?" Melvin's eyes widened, they were a rather pleasant shade of indigo that looked almost violet. "Well, if you must know, my little brother lives here. I was trying to find him, except I'm not in this country _legally_. I didn't want to drag him down."

Ryou started dabbing one of the cuts with a wipe, "I'm sorry, you're not in this country legally? Did you hijack a plane?"

Melvin snorted, "No, I snuck into a crate of artifacts that were going up in a nearby museum. I lived of of bananas for five days, and let me tell you, it wasn't exactly fun." Ryou almost dropped the napkin he was holding, then quickly regained composure.

"What country where you originally from?" the Brit asked, even though he had guessed.

"Egypt," Melvin said, flinching away from him. "That stings!"

"It wouldn't bloody sting so much if you hadn't crawled on my roof!" Ryou retorted, reaching for his arm. "Now, hold still!"

"Where else was I suppose to crawl? That's the floor the bathroom's on!" Melvin whined, reluctantly allowing Ryou to dab at the wound. "By the way, can I use your shower?"

"...Wanker, you can not use my shower! I should just take you to police station right after this!" Ryou grumbled, purposely making sure the next dab stung.

"If you were going to do that- OW- you already would have!" said Melvin, looking extremely smug with himself before his face scruched up in pain. Ryou laughed at him.

"Look, I don't know why you bothered stealing from _me_ of all people," Ryou said, carefully. "But now I feel somewhat responsible for your bloody arse, so who you like some tea?"

Melvin looked like he wanted to cry, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He reached out and jumped at Ryou, who ducked away from him as fast as he could. "Sheesh, I was only going for a hug!" Melvin said, noticing Ryou looking at the broom.

"Oh," was all Ryou could say before he went to the kettle. "I hope you like Earle Grey."

"I've never had it, is it good?" Melvin asked, lingering behind the little albino.

"It's delicious." Ryou said, turning around. He was staring right at Melvin's bare shoulders, which were revealed by the undershirt the Egyptian was wearing. Looking up, Ryou found himself trapped in that violet-indigo gaze. "Oh, bollocks, I forgot to ask! How old are you, anyway? I mean, you could be in your twenties, but you could have one of those faces."

"I'm actually nineteen," Melvin said, smiling down at him. "And what about you?"

"Seventeen," Ryou stated, "I'm a bit small for my age, that's all."

"I think it's cute!" Melvin snickered, leaning down so he was leveled with Ryou. "A tiny little kitten!"

"I will hit you with the broom, you know." Ryou said, not flinching. Melvin quickly returned to his normal height, backing away with his hands up.

By the time the tea was ready, Ryou was curious about Melvin's situation. He asked him about it, learning that back in Egypt, Melvin was born into a family of tomb-keepers. He and his younger twin brother put too much strain on their mother, and she died minutes after their birth. Because of this, Melvin's father hated him and his brother to no extent. They were abused horribly, resulting in scars being in carved into the younger twin's back, and whip marks to scrawl across Melvin's own. The younger brother managed to escape, leaving Melvin trapped inside the tomb.

"I don't blame him for leaving," Melvin sighed, "I just wish he would've taken me with him."

"What's your brother's name?" Ryou asked, still trying to take the story in.

"Marik Ishtar," Melvin said, slurping his tea. "Ra, this is good!"

"Marik...Ish...Oh my goodness!" Ryou stood, abruptly. "That's my cousin's boyfriend's name!"

"...I knew you looked familiar!" Melvin cried, "You're like a cuter version of Florence!"

Florence was Bakura's first name, but he went by his surname, which he and Ryou shared. The Brit was shocked at the coincidence, meeting Marik's twin brother in such a circumstance!

"I'll call Bakura right away!" he said, running for the phone. Melvin was laughing at the ridiculous sitation, noting that it was a miracle more than once. Dialing the number at the speed of light, Ryou impatiently waited for the other line to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Bakura, did you know that Marik has a twin brother?" Ryou cried into the receiver, "Because he does!"

"Wait- slow down. Yes, I knew that..but, how did you find out?" Bakura's voice made Ryou calm down enough to speak clearly.

"Uh, well, he's kind of standing in my kitchen." Ryou chuckled, glancing over at Melvin, who was giving him a thumbs up and nodding.

"What?"

"You heard me. The git's in my kitchen." Ryou repeated, smiling lightly.

Bakura was quiet for a moment, "...I'll put Marik on the line, wait a minute."

After some shuffling in the backround, a familiar voice sounded from the phone speaker. "Hey, Ryou! Long time no see! Like, seriously, we still can't see each other-"

Ryou cut him short, "Marik, your brother wants to talk to you."

"...Huh?" Marik seemed to put so much confusion into that one sound, Ryou almost laughed at him. Instead, he handed the phone to Melvin.

"What's up, binky boy?" Melvin said, grinning into the phone. After a beat, he started to explain how he ran away from home, apologising more than once, and laughing so honestly that Ryou almost had to force himself not to smile. "Okay...Uh huh...Got it. Yeah, love you, too...okay, bye." Melvin handed the phone back to Ryou, trying to hide his humid eyes.

"You can't kick him out!" was the first thing Marik said to him.

Ryou sighed, "Well, what else can I do? I don't know him at all!"

"He's my brother, trust me, he won't hurt you. And just let him stay until I can visit, next weekend. Please! It'll only be ten days."

"I can't leave him in the house alone! And I have school, to top it off." Ryou started to argue, but it was half-hearted. Melvin wasn't so bad, and kicking him out with no money would just be cruel. Plus, the guy had already been sneaking into his house for the last three weeks, so they practically lived together already.

"Well, that's a get-out-of-class-free card! Come on, Ryou!" Marik pleaded, getting help from Melvin, who was seen puppy-dog eyeing in Ryou's peripheral vision.

"Fine," Ryou muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll let him stay."

Before he could hear Marik's response, a pair of strong arms engulfed Ryou into a tight hug. Melvin was saying, "THANK YOU SO MUCH!" right into Ryou's ear, but his arms were warm, and it felt nice to be held like that. Of course, Ryou quickly regained his sanity, and pushed the Egyptian off of him.

"Don't be so relieved, you're sleeping on the couch!" Ryou snapped, "And you'll pay by doing the chores around here."

Melvin nodded, still looking like a child who'd been given a large Christmas present. "I won't let you down, Ryou!"

Blushing at how easily Melvin had said his name, the albino crossed his arms and let out a huff. "You better not, otherwise you're going back on the street."

...

Three days had passed since Ryou had knocked Melvin off the roof; in that time, the Egyptian had shoveled the snow out of the driveway, made the most delicious meals, and had entertained Ryou with hours of ancient legends he'd heard back in the tomb.

Ryou, in turn, had shared fairy tales he used to hear as a boy, stories of his times in London, and he'd also taught Melvin how to use a broom as a combat weapon. It was the most fun either of them had in ages, and Ryou was genuinely happy. It had been so long since something exciting had barged into his life, something that made his dull world burst with colour.

On the fourth morning since Melvin's arrival, Ryou was awoken by the scent of pancakes. He bounded down the stairs, peeking his head through the kitchen doorway. Melvin wasn't wearing a shirt, his tanned back was the only thing Ryou could see. And the scars. There were so many of them, almost as if someone was doing a crossword with a whip.

"Oh, you're up!" Melvin spun around, frying pan in hand. "I found out how to make these things from a cook-book. Apparently, they're a big deal!"

"You've never had pancakes?" Ryou asked, embarrassed he'd been caught staring.

Melvin shook his head, hair flopping everywhere. "Nope! Are they as good as that tea you have?"

"They're even better!" Ryou chirped, turning to the batter. "I'll help stir."

"Okay," Melvin said, humming a tune Ryou didn't recognise. Whatever it was, it sounded nice. He stirred the batter swiftly, doing his best to find out what song it was, but he just couldn't place it.

"Hey, what's that you're humming?" Ryou asked, pouring the batter onto one of the frying pans. "I don't know it, but it sounds brilliant."

"Oh? It's something my sister used to sing to Marik and I when we were little," Melvin shrugged, "I could sing some of it, if you'd like."

"Sure, go ahead!" Ryou said, smiling.

Melvin smirked at him, clearing his throat. "_Quiet dust may scrape your dreams, as it flows silently throughout streams. Remember now, to close your eyes, and let the birds of your mind fly._"

Ryou was taken aback; Melvin's voice was so strong, and yet so quiet and melodic as it carried out the notes. When he finished, Ryou couldn't stop staring. "...That was bloody brilliant!"

"Really?" Melvin blinked, "I mean, Marik's always had the better voice. I always kind of did better with the dancing."

"There's a dance that goes with it?" Ryou asked, trying to remember not to burn the pancake. "You've got to show me!"

"Only if you teach me how to flip the pancakes." Melvin bargained, watching the batter flop onto the frying pan.

"Deal," Ryou chuckled, and then proceeded to show him how it was done. When the pancakes were all ready, Melvin clapped his hands together and took a step back.

"Okay, you might want to stand clear- there's some spinning." he warned, stretching out his arms. Ryou took note of a few words written in Arabic across his wrist, then stepped back. "There's no music playing." Melvin stated this with a blank look.

"Oh, I think I have a CD in there..." Ryou clicked the radio/clock he had hanging by his oven. Sure enough, a familiar Abba song started playing. He hoped Melvin had never heard of this band.

"You listen to _Abba_?!" the Egyptian looked like he was on the brink of laughter. "My sister told me about these guys!"

Ryou's face flushed bright pink, "Shut up and dance, you git!"

With a chuckle, Melvin stretched out his arms. The song that happened to be playing was 'Waterloo', Ryou had to bite down his urge to sing along. And then Melvin started dancing. It was unlike anything Ryou had ever seen, no random thrusts, no piroettes, but just Melvin gliding across his kitchen floor. He looked so happy, too. Ryou watched, mesmerized as he spun on his feet, almost like he was a trained professional. Melvin also moved his arms, but they weren't just aimlessly going in every direction, they had pattern. Almost as if he was using them to paint a canvas in mid-air.

As he danced, Melvin waved his hand over at Ryou, gesturing for him to join in. The Brit shook his head, his shoulder-length, white locks flicking back and forth. There was no way Ryou was dancing to Abba with a shirtless Egyptian in his kitchen. No.

And then Melvin grabbed him by the upper arms, pulling him forward. "Come on, it's easy!" Melvin swayed his arms up and down, pulling Ryou forward, and then pushing him backward.

"I am not doing this!" Ryou said, albeit moving along with Melvin's help. It was kind of fun. "_I feels like I win when I lose~!_" he finally sang, letting Melvin drag him forward.

"_Waterloo!_" Melvin laughed, lifting Ryou up and twirling him in a circle. "_I was defeated you won the war!_"

Ryou snorted, giggling as he spinned. "Pfft, _waterloo! Promise you'll love me forevermore!_"

Melvin dropped him on his feet, letting go of his arms and doing a swift dance move before pointing at him. "_Waterloo, couldn't escape if I wanted to!_"

"_Waterloo, knowing my fate is to be with you!_" Ryou weakly tried to mimick the move, failing epicly whilst he sang. "_Waterloo- finally facing my waterloo!"_

"_So how could I ever refuse?" _Melvin took his arms again, "_I feel like I win when I lose~!_"

As the final chorus sounded, Melvin lifted Ryou into his arms. Bridal-style, he spun the Brit around with ease, the two of them giggling so hard, they pressed their foreheads together for support. They spun in circles until the song died away, dizziness swooping over them. Melvin stumbled for the tabled, carefully setting Ryou down on it.

"That was fun," Ryou said, blinking until the room stopped spinning. "I've never done something like that before."

"Dancing with a half naked and incredibly gorgeous man?" Melvin asked, grinning.

Ryou raised an eyebrow, "No, I think I'd remember doing that."

"Hey!" Melvin exclaimed, still grinning.

After they ate the pancakes, which were brilliant, there was a knock on Ryou's door. Melvin got the broom for him as he went to answer it, earning him a look of happy surprise. It turned out it was Yugi Moto, a fellow nerd of children's card games.

"Hey, Bakura," Yugi said, smiling at him with those huge, purple eyes. "You didn't come to school two days in a row, so I brought you the homework."

"Ah! Thank you!" Ryou said, smiling gratefully back at him. Yugi was one of the few kids in his grade that was actually shorter than him. "Actually, some family buisness has struck up. I'll be home for the next week, I'm afraid."

"Oh, then I'll get the Homework for you in advance!" Yugi chirped, "I mean, you're really smart, so you'd get it done in no time."

"Really? You'd do that for me?" Ryou asked, blinking at him. "Thank you so much!"

Yugi laughed, "No problem, but...why are you holding a broom? Were you cleaning or something?"

"Uh, yeah, I was sweeping." Ryou lied, taking the homework in his free hand. "Thanks again!"

"Yup, I'll make sure to drop by on Monday." Yugi said, and then he turned and left.

When he closed the door, Ryou was met instantly by Melvin. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, just a guy from school. We play cards, sometimes." Ryou shrugged, starting for the living room. "I don't suppose you know anything about Geometery?"

"I was only taught how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Other than that, I don't need anything else." Melvin told him, looking apologetic.

"Lucky bugger," Ryou huffed, sitting down on the couch. "While I study, you can go take a shower. You're half undressed as it is."

"Alright," Melvin said, smiling at him. "And I'm really sorry about using it without your permission, before-"

"It's fine, now shoo!" Ryou whisked him away, sighing. When Melvin walked away, he sang a few lyrics from that blasted Abba song. "Git."

...

Ryou was ridiculously happy. It wasn't fake happy, or lying happy, or talking to his cousin happy. It was something ecstatic and different, and he liked it. The reason? Melvin. Every time Ryou learned something new about him, or every time Melvin smiled, or sometimes just looking at Melvin made him feel that weird happiness.

He had only known the guy for a week, and Ryou was positive Melvin was the closest friend he'd ever had. It seemed the feeling was mutual, because Melvin smiled at him whenever he thought he wasn't looking, and he asked Ryou all about what his life was like. He even tried to help Ryou with the swamp of homework he'd acquired, even though it was all Japanese and he didn't understand a single thing. But he tried.

That afternoon, Ryou was just finishing the last of his homework- he was the top of his class, it was a breeze for him- when Melvin requested they watched a movie together. Back in Egypt, his family didn't own a T.V, so Melvin only knew from reading what a cinematic experience was like. Before Ryou knew what was going on, they were watching every movie he owned. Truthfully, he only had about eighteen DVDs and a couple VHS'. But Melvin was eager to watch them all.

There was mostly British films; and somehow, Ryou wound up in front of Melvin, sprawled across the couch in an almost cuddling way. Every time Melvin laughed into his hair, Ryou's chest grew warm. It was so comfortable, lying there with him. They were practically spooning, but Ryou could've cared less. They had just finished the original Star Wars trilogy when Ryou began to grow tired. It was past midnight, he needed some sleep.

"Hey, Melvin, we'll watch some more movies tomorrow." the albino yawned, turning around to adress his friend. Through the dim light the screen was projecting, Ryou could faintly make out Melvin smiling at him. His heart thumped in his chest, feeling a hand at the back of his head. "What are you...?"

"Carrying you," Melvin said, standing up with Ryou curled in his arms. "You look like you'll fall down the stairs."

"Oh," Ryou mumbled, already feeling himself slipping into dreamland. "Thank you."

"It's the least I can do," Melvin said, as they mounted the stairs.

When they reached Ryou's room, he was almost completely asleep. "Hey, Melvin?"

He lightly set Ryou down, "Yes?"

"Are you happy here? You know, living with me." Ryou asked quietly, reaching for the covers.

"Yeah," Melvin said, "Yeah, I'm happy."

"That's good," Ryou mumbled, "I'm glad you're happy." And then he was asleep.

The following morning, the pair went to the supermarket. Melvin was like a child, skipping across the aisles with glee. Apparently, Marik had done the same thing to Florence. Ryou had accidentally started calling his cousin by his first name, Melvin having rubbed off on him. They ended up buying milkshakes, since Melvin literally got on his knees and begged. Ryou also bought Melvin a new shirt, since he couldn't very well wear the same undershirt for the next week. It was an amusingly baggy, black T-shirt with the word 'swag' written in all caps. It had also been the cheapest thing there.

"It suits you," Ryou snickered, glancing Melvin over. The shirt reached his knees, almost looking like a dress.

"Don't make me remind you about the whole Abba thing!" Melvin warned, looking a mix between smug and ashamed. They were on their way back to Ryou's house, stopping to cross the road.

"Oh! What's that tattoo on your wrist say?" Ryou asked, suddenly remembering about it.

"Hm? Oh, it's just to remind me not forget." Melvin said, giving a half shrug.

Ryou was still curious, "Forget what?"

"Not to give up," Melvin smiled at him, patting his head. "Now, come on! I'm hungry."

He ran across the street, Ryou sprinting after him. When they reached Ryou'd house, they were both out of breath from running and laughing. When they got inside, they leaned against the door and just giggled like schoolgirls.

"Food," Melvin cackled, "Need...food!"

"Right, I'll cook up some ramen." Ryou said, recovering from his laughs. Soon enough, it was ready and the two were plopped on the couch.

Melvin looked really funny when he ate ramen, slurpring it up at light speed. Ryou watched him go, it was kind of like watching a vacuum cleaner, and almost forgot about his own meal. When he did remember, it was already soggy. Oh well, it tasted better than way.

"So, Marik and Florence will visit in three days?" Melvin asked, finishing up the last of his noodles. Ryou nodded in response, mouth full. It was rather adorable. "Oh, I guess that means I'll be looking for a place to live, when they leave..."

Ryou froze, heart stopping. He wasn't sure he wanted Melvin to go. Melvin was fun, he made Ryou feel happy, like he belonged. His throat ached at the idea of Melvin leaving, chest going numb. No. He couldn't leave. "Well," Ryou said, after some time. "I think you could stay here a little longer. I mean, you're not terrible or anything, and it is my house...so..."

Those indecipherable coloured eyes were wide, Melvin's eyebrows shooting up. "You really don't mind me?"

"To be honest, it's nice having someone around." Ryou said, quietly. "I still have to finish school, but I imagine you can look for a job during that time, right?"

"You'll let me stay?" Melvin asked, a smile working onto his lips.

"Yes," Ryou mumbled, going red in the face. Melvin looked so bloody happy about it.

"I'm so hugging you!" the Egyptian leaped at his albino friend, wrapping his arms around him. Ryou struggled, at first, but then gave up and hugged him back. Melvin was warm, and when he pulled back, his eyes were so close to Ryou's own, he understood what it meant to be 'lost' in someone's gaze. But he didn't feel lost at all, because Melvin was right there.

"Can we watch another movie?" Melvin asked, slowly letting Ryou go.

The Brit nodded, knowing there were only a few more left in his collection. They wound up watching a romantic comedy, and though this time they were on opposite sides of the couch, their legs tangled together. Ryou fell into the storyline with bliss, trying not to laugh at Melvin's foot accidentally hitting a ticklish spot.

...

"Could I get a hug?"

Ryou chuckled, watching his cousin's brows furrow and his mouth open. Bakura glared at Melvin for a long time, before Marik all but trampled over him.

"MELVIN!" he was screetching, "OH MY RA, YOU'RE REALLY HERE!"

Melvin rolled his eyes and pulled his brother into a tight hug, laughing maniacally. The two of them started talking rapidly, somehow understanding every word the other said. Meanwhile, Bakura straightened himself up after getting pushed aside, and went for his cousin.

"He didn't try anything funny? Marik told me he used to spend his free time murdering snakes." Bakura checked Ryou over, tilting his head back.

"I'm fine, you worried little bugger." Ryou chirped, patting his cousin on the shoulder. "How was the four hour drive?"

Bakura scowled, "Have you ever tried sitting next to an off-key cover of pretty much any Lady Gaga song?" Ryou shook his head. "I don't recommend it."

"Ryou!" Marik suddenly came out of nowhere, tackle-glomping the poor Brit to the floor. "Melvin said you've been so kind to him! Thank you!"

"I'm...suffocating..." Ryou wheezed under Marik's weight, which he was quickly relieved of, due to the fact Bakura grabbed Marik and pulled him off immediately.

"Bloody hell, don't crush him before we even take our shoes off!" Bakura scolded, earning a mocking eye roll from his boyfriend. "I'm sorry about that, Ryou."

"It's fine..." Ryou mumbled, grabbing hold of the nearest object to heave himself upwards. It just so happened that the nearest object was Melvin. "Oops! Sorry."

"I don't mind." Melvin chuckled, helping Ryou to his feet.

"OH-EM-GEE! He's flirting with your cousin, Bakura, do something!" Marik pointed at his brother accusingly, tugging on the corner of Bakura's shirt.

"You have my blessing," the albino huffed, "Now, where's the bloody kitchen? Marik ate all of the snacks I brought for the visit."

Ryou blushed, then led them down the hallway. What had Marik meant by flirting? There was no way...Oh well, no bother. The four of them sat and ate crumpets, chatting aimlessly about what they should do about the situation.

"Well, I suppose Melvin sould look for a job." Bakura said, munching on his crumpet thoughtfully. "What are some things your good at?"

"Murder," Melvin said, with a light shrug. When he saw how serious everyone reacted, he quickly shook his head. "I was kidding! I'm good with using knives, though."

"Well, can't he become a ninja?" Marik asked, trying to lighten the mood. "I mean, this is frigging Japan. It shouldn't be too hard to find an ancient dojo- just climb a random mountain."

Ryou rolled his eyes, "That was incredibly stereotypical and offensive."

"And look at all the frigs I give!" Marik cackled, taking a large bite of his crumpet.

"Maybe he can repair motorcycles," Ryou tossed out, "I mean, he mention that he used to help fix up one so Marik could ride it."

"Maybe we could play card games on those motorcycles!" Melvin said, laughing at the idea.

"That made no sense whatsoever," Bakura said, flatly. "But you could look for a job at a repair shop or something. That way you'd at least get minimum wage."

"Yay! Problem solved!" Marik cried, clapping his hands. "And Ryou's willing to let him stick around for a little while longer."

"I trust him enough not to burn the house down when I'm at school." Ryou shrugged, "But he's still sleeping on the bloody couch."

They all laughed, and shook their heads at this. Afterwards, Marik and Melvin caught up by telling each other how their lives had been, while Bakura and Ryou sat on the front porch drinking tea. It was very quiet until Bakura spoke, "You like him."

"What?" Ryou asked, putting his teacup back on the saucer.

"You like Melvin," Bakura said, smiling. "It's bloody obvious."

"I- I do not!" Ryou squeaked, face going red. "He's just a friend."

"No," Bakura tittered, "Your 'friends' are all people you usually disregard as boring. But not him. He's different."

"How...?" Ryou's head spun, he must've been an open book! "How did you-?"

"Oh, please, that exactly how I feel about Marik." the older Brit scoffed, nodding his head. Like Ryou, Bakura's hair was white and thick, but it was ten times harder to manage, with two giant, bat-wing shaped fluffs resting on top of his head. It looked funny when they bounced around, so Ryou laughed.

"I honestly don't think I like him!" Ryou said, suddenly serious. "I'm straight."

"...You listen to bloody Abba." Bakura said, deadpan.

"Oh, sod off!" Ryou grumbled, giving his cousin a light shove with a smile. It had been so long since they'd really talked, face to face.

"Come on, just admit it. You like Melvin!" Bakura smirked, "You're blown away by his Egyptian charm and slightly homicidal tendencies."

"Stop being such a git!" Ryou whined, continuing to shove the older albino. "Or I'll say the F-word!"

"Fuck?" Bakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Ryou said, grinning deviously. "_Florence_."

"Oh, that tears it!" Bakura growled, trapping Ryou in a headlock. They wrestled for minutes, triumphing and losing all the while. Finally, they called truce, laughing and gasping for breath. When they got back inside, Marik and Melvin seemed to be in a similair situation.

"Come on! Admit it!" Marik was laughing, shoving his brother.

"You're impossible!" Melvin cried, shoving back with equal force.

"Ladies, ladies." Bakura cut in, smirking. "That's enough."

"Bakura, he's in denial!" Marik whined, pointing at Melvin with a pout.

Jabbing a thumb in Ryou's direction, Bakura sighed. "So's this one."

Melvin and Ryou exchanged looks of confusion, only to be interrupted by Marik's maniacal laughter. "Can we watch a movie? Bakura says you have British movies!"

"Uh, yes." Ryou nodded at his selection, "Not very many, though..."

"They're all quite good!" Melvin piped up, grinning. "I especially liked the crime dramas."

"Oh, I just remembered- Marik and I decided to bring you a gift." Bakura said, retreating for the bag he'd brought in with him.

"You really didn't need to do that," Ryou started to protest, and then he saw what the gift was. "Is that seriously Doctor Who?"

"Yup," Bakura said, holding the DVD up with a grin. "All yours."

"Thank you!" Ryou exclaimed, snatching it out of his cousin's grip. "I hope you didn't switch the inside with porn, like you did last time."

"Nope, this one's perfectly clean!" Marik declared, smiling widely. "We thought it'd be nice to remind you of England!"

Ryou smiled at them, gratefully. "Uh, what's Doctor Who?" Melvin asked from the couch, scratching his head. Three eyes turned to him, piercing him with pity.

"We're watching this! NOW."

...

It was past midnight, and they were still watching Doctor Who. Well, Ryou and Melvin were watching it, Bakura and Marik had fallen asleep on the couch. As the episode came to a close, Melvin looked down at the pair with a sigh. "There's no way I'm sleeping there."

Ryou bit his lip, thinking. He weighed the pros and cons, then let out a sigh of his own. "Okay, you can come upstairs. You can sleep on my floor."

"Thank you," Melvin said, smiling. They walked upstairs, but not before draping a blanket over the cuddled up couple on the couch. When they got to Ryou's room, Melvin had to stand outside for a few minutes while the albino changed. Eventually, Ryou let him inside and put a pillow and blanket on the floor for him. "Goodnight, kitten." Melvin chuckled, as Ryou flicked out the light.

"Goodnight," Ryou sighed, ignoring the nickname.

It wasn't long before Ryou realised he wasn't going to be able to sleep. Melvin's quiet inhales and exhales seemed to echo across his bedroom walls, causing Ryou only slight discomfort. No, he was really bothered by what Bakura had said, earlier. About him liking Melvin. Sure, Melvin made Ryou happy, made him feel special, but did Ryou really see the Egyptian like that? He thought about it, and then his mind lingered to what it would be like to kiss Melvin. Blood boiling, Ryou's throat went dry as he tried to push away the thought. But it was scarred into his brain, repeating itself over and over.

Ryou sat up, clutching his hair and desprate to erase the image. Melvin seemed to have heard him, sitting up and asking him if he was okay.

"No, I'm not." Ryou said, voice trembling. Melvin started toward him, opening his mouth to ask what was wrong, but was cut short. "Don't come over here!"

"Why not?" he asked, taking a daring step anyway.

"Because I might do something really stupid," Ryou whispered, looking at him through the darkened room. Melvin stepped forward, closer and closer, until he was right at the edge of the bed, staring Ryou down.

For a moment, everything was still.

And then Ryou leaped, grabbing Melvin's undershirt and pulling him forward, their lips all but smashing together. He'd never kissed anyone, so Ryou had no idea what to do. He just decided to wing it, working his lips on top of Melvin's. To his utter shock, Melvin's arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him upwards so that Ryou was almost leaning on him. Then Melvin started kissing him back, which was pretty brilliant. No. It was beyond brilliant. They went about kissing for a good few minutes, before Ryou pulled back, needing air.

Foreheads pressed together, hot breath on each other's face, Melvin was the first to speak. "That...was not stupid."

"...Can we do that again?" Ryou asked, timidly.

Melvin's lips met his own, gentle and soft, unlike their previous collision. This kiss was better, it was slower and much less brash. It was amazing; Ryou had no idea he had been missing out on so much. The Brit had always imagined kissing as boring, something weird where your face was touching someone else's. But this was better by a fair amount.

"Do I still have to sleep on the floor?" Melvin asked, smiling onto Ryou's lips.

"No, you can stay up here." Ryou told him, then he quickly added, "But don't try anything other than kissing, or I'll push you off the bloody roof again."

"Wouldn't think of it," Melvin said, bemusedly.

It was much easier to get to sleep like that, in Melvin's arms. Ryou had his own arm slung over the Egyptian's waist, almost as if he was making sure he was still there. They drifted off into dreamland, both feeling perfectly content.

...

"Oh my god, we should've made a bet on this." Marik chuckled from the kitchen table, as Ryou and Melvin came downstairs holding hands. "Did you two get it on?"

"No!" Ryou and Melvin squeaked at the same time.

"Marik," Bakura scolded, "They've probably only made out a little bit."

"Oh, right." Marik chuckled, leaning his head on his arms. "Heh, remember how long it took you to get me to that stage, Bakura?"

"You were locked up in an invisible closet," the albino huffed, turning over to the newly formed couple. "So, what's for breafast? Congratulations, by the way."

"Uh, thank you..." Ryou mumbled, going over to the stove. "We'll have scrambled eggs."

Melvin let go of his hand and went for the fridge, making Ryou feel a tad empty now that his fingers had nothing to hold. He quickly pushed the feeling aside and started to prepare breakfast, hoping nothing had changed between him and Melvin because of the kissing. He was relieved that everything seemed to be exactly how it had been, the only difference being Melvin's occasional hand holding.

"Aw, look at them!" Marik cooed from his seat, "Acting all domestic!"

"Yes, it's positively adorable." Bakura agreed, nodding his head.

"Shut up, binky boy!" Melvin grumbled, blushing. Ryou giggled at how cute his new...boyfriend was being. Wow. He had a boyfriend. Go figure.

After breakfast, the group went out for a walk, the last of the February snow drying under their feet. Marik and Melvin had a snowball fight, Bakura and Ryou each taking their boyfriend's side. Ryou and Melvin kissed when they were hiding behind a tree, only to have Marik accusingly yell, "HEY, THEY'RE MAKING OUT OVER THERE!"

It was so much fun, Ryou was having a great time. It looked like Melvin felt the same, even if it was kind of terrifying when the Egyptian chased Bakura around screaming about getting snow down his (borrowed) jacket. All in all, it was an enjoyable day.

"So, we'll come visit in three weeks?" Marik asked, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. He stood on Ryou's front porch, ready to go back home. It was a four hour drive, so Bakura had started packing up right after lunch.

"Sounds good," Ryou nodded, smiling. "It was great seeing you."

"You, too!" Marik chirped, pulling Ryou into a hug.

"Marik! We're trying to avoid traffic!" Bakura yelled from the driver's seat, earning him amused giggles from his cousin and boyfriend. "Bye, Ryou! Take care!"

"Goodbye!" the Brit called, as Marik climbed into the front seat. Melvin, who had een lingering behind him, walked up beside Ryou and took his hand. The car pulled out of the driveway, then vanished behind the corner.

"So," Melvin said, giving Ryou a grin. "I guess my visit has become indefinite?"

"What are you talking about? I'm never letting you go." Ryou mumbled, pulling Melvin into a tight hold. "You'll never escape me!"

"Who said I wanted to?" Melvin grinned, tilting Ryou's chin upwards with his index finger.

They were just about to kiss, when Ryou's neighbor happened to walk outside. "Faggots!" the man cried, pointing at them.

Melvin rolled his eyes, "Should I get the broom?"

"Fetch two of them." Ryou said, burning with anger.

"Ooh, I like that look in your eyes!" Melvin cackled, running off.

When he came back, the two of them charged across the lawn, screaming bloody murder as they approached the neighbor, brooms high in the air. After he was knocked unconsious, they proceeded to make out hardcore in his front yard. "This is the start of a beautiful relationship!" Ryou giggled, as they walked back inside. Melvin took his hand, and they walked forward, setting the brooms down by the door.


End file.
